Harlee
Well-known
I love these little cameras. I purchased my first one for my wife to use around 1970 in Okinawa. It served us faithfully. Some where along the time line, it either got lost or traded or sold. Around ten years ago, I found one in a local pawn shop for $10. Everything worked, including the meter, hot shoe, nice clear viewfinder, bright yellow patch (still is bright and yellow). How could I go wrong?
About 2-3 months ago I got it out to shoot a few shots with it, but noticed the shutter wasn't opening. It wound, meter worked, sounded like it was working, but holding it up to the light I noticed with the back door open, the shutter didn't open.
I messed with it several time but with no success. I wiped the shutter blades with a Q-Tip soaked in lighter fluid, but that didn't work either.
One repair person wanted $85 to get it in operating condition. To rich for me! Well the other night I decided to mess with it again. With the back open, I again swabbed the shutter blades with a Q-Tip and lighter fluid while snapping the shutter but still nothing. I decided to take a very fine jewler's screwdriver and try to help the shutter blades a bit. Well, after several trys, the shutter blades moved a bit, then a little bit more, then they opened all the way and snapped back, but this was with a little help from me and my screwdriver.
Now came the moment of truth. I wound the camera, and this time without any help on my part snapped the shutter, and lo and behold, the shutter opened and closed. I wondered if they were opening correctly, so I held it up to a bright light source and sure enough the aperature/shutter blades closed down correctly and with low light opened all the way.
Every day I snap it a few times to see if it's still working properly, and it is. I leave for Russia this Thursday and I'm debating if I should take it with me. I don't have time to shoot some shots off to make sure all is well. I may wait until I return and take my C35EF instead to get some B+W shots, along with several other cameras of course, including my mint Zenit 122 with its Helios 50MM F1.8 lens.
It's really great having my little pet back from the grave. Lesson learned, as Winston Churchill said, "Never give up!"
About 2-3 months ago I got it out to shoot a few shots with it, but noticed the shutter wasn't opening. It wound, meter worked, sounded like it was working, but holding it up to the light I noticed with the back door open, the shutter didn't open.
I messed with it several time but with no success. I wiped the shutter blades with a Q-Tip soaked in lighter fluid, but that didn't work either.
One repair person wanted $85 to get it in operating condition. To rich for me! Well the other night I decided to mess with it again. With the back open, I again swabbed the shutter blades with a Q-Tip and lighter fluid while snapping the shutter but still nothing. I decided to take a very fine jewler's screwdriver and try to help the shutter blades a bit. Well, after several trys, the shutter blades moved a bit, then a little bit more, then they opened all the way and snapped back, but this was with a little help from me and my screwdriver.
Now came the moment of truth. I wound the camera, and this time without any help on my part snapped the shutter, and lo and behold, the shutter opened and closed. I wondered if they were opening correctly, so I held it up to a bright light source and sure enough the aperature/shutter blades closed down correctly and with low light opened all the way.
Every day I snap it a few times to see if it's still working properly, and it is. I leave for Russia this Thursday and I'm debating if I should take it with me. I don't have time to shoot some shots off to make sure all is well. I may wait until I return and take my C35EF instead to get some B+W shots, along with several other cameras of course, including my mint Zenit 122 with its Helios 50MM F1.8 lens.
It's really great having my little pet back from the grave. Lesson learned, as Winston Churchill said, "Never give up!"
btgc
Veteran
I understand your connection with this camera, nice you got it back to life. I learned same trick - for first time help shutter with toothpick. Though my experience with Lynx shows if for first time after naphtha-o-touch shutter doesn't start opening itself and requires guiding hand, it may stick again after temperature changes. Do I remember correctly from some another post you are going to Siberia ? I'd take with me set of screwdrivers, better to have and don't use than opposite